How Japanese Companies Succeed with PR in ASEAN

Japanese companies are looking south to ASEAN

A shrinking population, tightening labour market, and slowing domestic growth have made expansion a survival calculation.

JETRO data shows 43.8% of Japanese-affiliated companies in Asia and Oceania plan to expand further – a figure above 40% since 2021. Two-way trade between Japan and ASEAN reached US$236 billion in 2024, FDI into the region rose 20% between 2023 and 2024 to US$17.5 billion, and Japan led all nations in global FDI outflows in H1 2025 at US$98 billion. The capital is moving, but the communications strategy – for most companies – is not.

I’ve worked across Japan in marketing, translation/localisation, and business consulting for 20+ years – with companies small and large. I’ve seen Japanese companies enter markets including Southeast Asia/ASEAN, struggle to gain recognition and justify their presence, and eventually leave. Those that fail continue to route decisions through the local expats and Japan-side signoff, which takes too long. They overlook the cultural nuances and relationship-building necessary with staff and business partners. Most importantly, they fail to reflect and iterate when things are not working.

The winners are eager to hire, engage with, and empower local staff, while growing the local economy. They show their value and become part of the community.

The dichotomy between winners and losers extends to media strategies, or lack thereof.

To gain more insight on what good and not-so-good PR looks like for Japanese companies across six ASEAN markets, I spoke with Ellerton’s regional team of local market experts to understand what actually works on the ground. 

Singapore

Ellerton Partner Michael de Waal-Montgomery sees a consistent pattern: Japanese companies treat market entry as a translation exercise rather than a localisation one. Tokyo-approved messaging moves through multi-layer approval chains and arrives flat and late.

The Straits Times, The Business Times, and Channel NewsAsia  cover foreign companies when the story has local weight – jobs created, investment committed, named local partners, relevance to national priorities like fintech or sustainability. The spokesperson also makes a big difference. Journalists can tell when someone understands the local market and has something meaningful to say. If they’re simply repeating lines from headquarters, the story usually falls flat.

Since Singapore is typically the regional headquarters, the communications team here shapes the entire ASEAN story.

Malaysia

Jesslyn “Jess” Lee, Regional Manager, points to indirect communication as the main friction point. In a multicultural market where Malay, Chinese, and Indian business cultures intersect, vague responses and slow reversions read as lack of commitment.

Japanese companies start with a strong reputation in Malaysia – reliable, high-quality, well governed – but goodwill doesn’t automatically generate coverage. The Star, The Edge, and BERNAMA (Malaysian National News Agency) respond to stories tied to national priorities: Industry 4.0, sustainability, halal innovation, and local employment. Japan already has RM142.9 billion in approved investments across 3,800+ projects in Malaysia, with nearly 500,000 jobs created – but the stories built around those numbers often aren't as strong as the numbers deserve.

To bridge this gap, Jess advises respecting religious and cultural sensitivities visibly, adapting messaging to the local landscape, and building personal connections before you need them.

Indonesia

Milenia Kartika, Regional Senior Executive at Ellerton, names a mismatch most Japanese companies don't see coming: Indonesian audiences expect warmth, directness, and clear feedback. Japanese high-context messaging – cautious, indirect, relying on the reader to interpret – creates confusion and erodes trust before business even begins.

Kompas, Bisnis Indonesia, and Detik  cover foreign companies when the story connects to national impact: investment, jobs, technology transfer, and alignment with priorities like EV development and green energy. Education and disaster relief CSR also gets coverage.

Thailand

Pakinee Turner, Thailand Consultant and Lead at Ellerton, identifies language and formality as the primary barriers. The cautious, process-heavy communication style common at Japanese companies reads in Thailand as conservative at best.

The Bangkok Post and The Nation  respond to stories with clear local stakes: new investments, expansion plans, technology entering the market, and sustainability initiatives. Real customer examples and local executives consistently outperform global press templates.

Philippines

Gabriel “Gab” Abeleda, Regional Associate Director at Ellerton, frames the core challenge as underestimating cultural distance – shared Asian geography doesn't create common ground, and Filipino business culture is warmer, more personal, and more flexible than Japan's consensus-driven model.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer and BusinessWorld  follow stories that connect foreign company activity to national benefit: job creation, local investment, technology transfer, and contributions to development priorities. A standalone corporate announcement earns little; a story about what you're building for Filipino communities earns coverage.

Vietnam

Michelle “Mich” Bui, Regional Associate Manager at Ellerton, names two failures that compound each other: word-for-word translation of Japanese corporate messaging, and failing to answer the question Vietnamese audiences actually ask – why Vietnam?

VnExpress, Tuổi Trẻ, and Thanh Niên  respond to tangible local angles: investment figures, job numbers, technology transfer, and government association. A People’s Committee or Ministry of Industry and Trade official at your launch means journalists will attend and cover it. “Japanese company expands to Southeast Asia” gets ignored; “Japanese company creates 500 jobs in Bình Dương” gets covered.

Mich notes that relationships are built person-first, contract second. A shared cà phê sữa đá  or a round of Bia Hơi  on a plastic stool signals more about your intentions than any polished presentation. In a hierarchical, communal culture, willingness to sit in an informal setting tells counterparts you're not above them – and that reads louder than any press kit.

Japan: ASEAN wants you to succeed, and so do we 

I’ll add my own success tips here, for you, a decision-maker or someone who has the ear of a decision-maker:

• Take pride in Japanese quality, reputation, and the obvious overall fact that – Japan is respected, well-liked, and highly trusted.
• Learn from the Japanese companies that are succeeding in Japan. UNIQLO, Muji, Sushiro, Teijin, AnyMind, Sansan, Kintone, etc. See how they localised and adapted, how they showed their value and benefit for specific ASEAN countries, and how they amplified their local and global value through smart media use.
• And then, don’t go ASEAN alone. Partner with local expertise to localise and adapt your approach as much as possible.

The Japanese companies that fail in ASEAN generally try to run everything from Japan and through the expats assigned to the local branch. By the time HQ back home approves the messaging and clears the spokesperson, the moment has passed.

Competitors who’ve invested in local communications teams and given them actual authority are already part of the conversation – and building the relationships that take years to replicate.

Every insight here came from Ellerton’s regional members: people who work daily with the media, partners, and audiences you need on your side.

For my part, here in Osaka (and often in Tokyo), I coordinate their abilities with Japanese companies’ superb services and products. Working with Ellerton means working with that same caliber of talent across all six markets.

If you're preparing an ASEAN move – or already in-market and not gaining the traction you expected – start at Ellerton’s Japan services page. Or simply contact us.

Further reading:

Blog: English vs. Japanese Press Releases: Lost in Translation?
Ellerton Report: 2026 SEA PR Report: Navigating Cultural Nuances in Southeast Asia

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Dr. Adam Goulston is Ellerton’s Strategic Advisor for Japan and the owner of MacroLingo, an Osaka, Japan-based content and business consultancy.